Improvement in wooden floor-matting



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE HAYES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

217,214, dated July s, 1879; application nien December 10, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HAYES, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tooden Floor or FootMats, ot' which the fol lowing is a specilication.

My improvement consists in inserting in the face of the stripsformingthe mat, or that portion thereof which comes immediately in contact withthe feet, a piece of metal or other suitable hard material, Jfor thepurpose of reudering the same more durable, and acting as a shield orguard against excessive wear and tear, making the mats more desirablefor publieplaces, railway-cars, 85e.

The guard or shield pieces are either inserted in a groove made iu thestrip itself or between the strips, where they come close together, andhave a raised portion, upon which the feet are to rest or come incontact, and the said guardpieces ,run lengthwise the slats, and may becontinuous or iu sections, as most suitable, and secured in anydesirable manner.

Matting composed of wooden strips, when i laid in public places, soonbecomes worn out and useless; :but my improvement, adding but little tothe first cost, will enable the mat to wear much longer, and will add toand not diminish the anti-slipping qualities.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing two woodenslats with ridged or raised centers, having guard or shield piecesinserted therein. Fig. 2 is an obvious modification. Fig.3 isaperspective view, showing. three wooden slats having raised edges, sothat a ridge is formed by two slats. The

`groove or sinkage, which in Fig. l lies between, here comes in thecenter, and as a consequence the shield or guard of Vhard inaterial isinserted between the slats, so that its upper portion will come in theridge and in contact with the feet, aii'ording protection to the wood'ofthe slats.

Ou the drawings, A represents the slats ot' wood; B, the ridged portionthereof, and C the depressed or grooved portion. D represents the guardor shield pieces, of hard material. The manner of joining and securingthe same is dependent upon the general coni struction of the mat, andmayvary to suit circumstauces.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a toot-mat composed of wooden slats or strips, inserted shield orguard pieces of metal or other hard material, so combined with araisedor ridged portion of the slat or`slats as to form a protection to thesame, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE HAYES.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL M. HOPKINS, HENRY STEUGNELL.

